The present invention relates to a light radiation device for use in medical treatment, in particular, a light radiation device capable of irradiating a patient's scalp with light rays transmitted through a fiber optic cable.
In recent years, a large number of persons suffer from difficult-to-cure diseases such as gout, neuralgia and rheumatism, or suffer from pain from injury scars, bone fracture scars and ill-defined diseases. Furthermore, no one can be free from their skin aging which progresses gradually from a comparatively young age. On the other hand, the present applicant has previously proposed to focus solar rays or artificial light rays by the use of lenses or the like, to guide the focused light rays into a fiber optic cable and to transmit them to any place where the light is desired for illumination or for other purposes, as for example, to cultivate plants, chlorella, fish or the like. Through research, it has been found that the visible light not containing ultraviolet and infrared rays is effective not only for promoting the health of persons and to prevent their skin from aging (by increasing a living body reaction) but also to noticeably aid in healing gout, neuralgia, bedsores, rheumatism, burn scars, skin diseases, injury scars, bone fracture scars etc. and in relieving the pain from such diseases.
Further, on the basis of the above-mentioned inventor's discovery, the applicant has previously proposed a light radiation device for radiating visible light not containing harmful ultraviolet rays and infrared rays with the aim of using them for healing various types of diseases, giving beauty treatments and for promoting people's health. A light radiation device for use in medical treatment as previously proposed by the present applicant comprises a fiber optic cable for receiving sunlight or artificial light at its input end, and for transmitting the light therethrough and a hood member installed at the light-emitting end portion of the fiber optic cable. The light to be transmitted through the fiber optic cable is one that corresponds to visible-spectrum light (white-coloured light) obtainable in various ways as previously proposed by the present applicant. At the time of giving a medical treatment, a patient is placed in the chair and the visible-spectrum light thus transmitted through the fiber optic cable is radiated onto the diseased part of a patient.
As mentioned above, the light to be radiated onto the diseased part of a patient corresponds to the visible-spectrum components of sunlight and is therefore free from harmful elements such as ultraviolet and infrared rays. Consequently, it is possible to give medical treatments safely without fear of exposing a patient to harmful ultraviolet and infrared rays. However, the light radiation device referred to, which is mainly used for healing the above-mentioned diseases by radiating the light onto the patient's diseased part, has proven not to be adequate for healing the patient's scalp since the light can be prevented by the hair from reaching the scalp's surface.